


Dreams of a Soldier

by Magical_Mischief_Mon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - World War II, Angst and Tragedy, F/M, It's gonna hurt, Romantic Fluff, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 20:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13819272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Mischief_Mon/pseuds/Magical_Mischief_Mon
Summary: Takashi Shirogane is a World War II pilot, dreaming of a world after the war.





	Dreams of a Soldier

Shiro was lying awake, staring at the photograph in his hands. Lights were still on for now, but he was certain he would still be staring at it even when they were out. He had already memorized every detail of the picture. Her long hair, the wrinkles in her dress, the freckles on her smiling face. All of them there in his grasp.  
Until someone snatched it out of his hands, that is. He scrambled to grab it back as the others laughed at the antics. He finally managed to, but not before some of the other young men got a good look. They jeered at him and asked him question about who she was, how they met, and what his relationship with her was to be touching her like that.  
Shiro could easily remember the answer to each of those. Instead, he told them all it was none of their business and pretended to go to sleep, disappointing all of them.

  
_~*~_

 _He worked a lot with an Italian flight engineer named Samuel Holt, who was constantly making adjustments and was rather friendly to him. Shiro had assumed it was because he had put effort into learning Italian to make it easier to communicate with allies. The old man wasn’t the only Holt who seemed to find Shiro either, he had a son who easily became friends with him._  
_The two managed to visit their hotel for dinner and introduced him to the other members of their family, Colleen and Katelyn Holt. The mother and sister of Matt and wife and daughter of Samuel Holt, respectively._  
_“Pleasure to meet you, Takashi.” Colleen greeted with choppy and heavily accented Japanese and held out her hand. The young brunette behind her scowled and muttered something Shiro never heard. Whatever it was, it upsetted Colleen. “Katelyn! I apologize for my daughter’s rudeness.”_  
_“No. No problem.” Shiro replied with a shy smile and his accented Italian. He kissed the back of Colleen’s outstretched hand, a twinge in his heart for ignoring the manners drilled in him by his grandmother._  
_“You know Italian! Amazing!” She exclaimed. Shiro had to wonder if all the Holts were always exuberant. Except for Katelyn who was still standing behind her mother. “Dear...”_  
_“I know, I know.” The girl in the pastel purple dress rolled her eyes. She bowed to him saying in her own accented Japanese, “Thank you for joining us for dinner, Shirogane-san.”_  
_It was Shiro’s turn to be astonished. He hadn’t expected the young woman to know better etiquette nor Japanese than her mother. “Thank you for inviting me.”_  
_This was when he found out just who Katelyn Holt was (and not just from the stories her father and brother shared). She was affectionately called Katie by her parents, and Pidge by her brother (“just call her Pidge. She loves it even if she pretends not to.”). It was amazing how she reacted to each of them. Katelyn was a proper Italian lady of marriageable age. Katie was a little girl who still needed her parents. Pidge was a whole other person._  
_Pidge was stubborn and strong-willed. She read all of her father and brother’s research, even if she wasn’t supposed to since she was a girl. She wanted to be a pilot, too. But girls weren’t allowed to be, so she wanted to be a flight engineer instead. But girls weren’t allowed to be that either._  
_At the end of the dinner she had valiantly declared she would become an engineer even if she had to be a boy to do it. In Italian, of course, so most of the other guests didn’t understand why she had suddenly stood up, leg on the table, revealing more than was appropriate._  
_Colleen had ushered her to hide her legs and sit back down, Samuel just smiled and calmly urged her to do as her mother said, all while Matt was laughing loudly at the scene. It was different from his family, different from his friends’ families, too, but it was nice. It somehow seemed warm and inviting even as Katie sulked in her seat._  
_“I think you would be a great engineer.” Shiro whispered to her. She turned and stared at him, judging his sincerity, before beaming brightly with a grin._  
_“You’re right about that.” She whispered conspiratorially back. Matt’s attention was caught and interrupted the moment, asking what they were saying. The two shared a look. “Nothing~.”_  
_“Pidge! Shiro, you can tell me.” Matt turned to his close friend when he saw she wouldn’t be giving any information. Shiro saw Pidge shake her head and smiled softly at Matt, showing he would be revealing nothing._  
_He would always be happy he had accepted the invitation and met her that night._

_~*~_

  
_It was by random chance. He had gone for a walk on a sunny day, as the wind blew. She was sitting at the bottom of the hill, by a stream. He couldn't keep his eyes off her as she held down her journal’s pages with one hand and continued to write with the other. Her face was serious and her honey eyes focused._  
_It was by chance that he tripped and ended up rolling down the hill. He ended up beside her, and to his embarrassment, she was staring at him with wide eyes in surprise. He flushed and stammered out an apology for disrupting her._  
_She began to laugh and he felt as if he could live on her laughter alone. It wasn't the most beautiful thing he ever heard, but it made him feel so delighted to hear it. Even as she began to snort a little._  
_She stood up and offered her hand. He stared up at her, the sun shining down on her, highlighting her loose, wild hair. As he took her hand and stood up, he noticed her feet were bare and dirty, her socks and shoes a little bit away. It suited her. She was like a spirit of the forest with the way she looked in her green smock._  
_“What happened to you to fall like that?” She asked him._  
_“I got lost in thought.” He replied, trying not to admit he had been watching her instead of where he had been going. She would surely never speak to him again if she found that out._  
_“I can understand that. I’ve almost fallen into the stream more than I can count when I'm distracted by my thoughts.” The young lady before him nodded._  
_“May I ask what you were working on, Miss Holt?” Shiro attempted to continue the conversation, not wanting to leave her side just yet._  
_“Just some landscape sketches. It helps me hone my skills in drawing, so that way I can be better at drawing plans for new planes.” She explained. “Actually, would you be willing to hear some of my ideas for new planes? I need a new sounding board and you seem like you might be able to give me ideas as a pilot.”_  
_“Alright.” Shiro tried not to chuckle at her description. She began to flip through pages and then explain what she was thinking of and asked his opinion. He replied with some criticism, having picked up on somethings from Samuel and Matt’s ramblings. They spent most of the afternoon talking about her ideas before it started getting too cold to stay out any longer._  
_He accompanied her back to the hotel she was staying at. They had talked all the way back and he had put his coat on her shoulders to help keep her warm. She returned it with gratitude when they reached the hotel. They were saying their goodbyes when the question that would damn him for good came out of her mouth._  
_“Would you...” Pidge looked away shyly as she brushed her hair out of her face. Shiro’s heart beat faster as he waited for her to complete her question. “Would you be willing to come over to the hotel sometimes and let me talk to you about my ideas?”_  
_“I would love that, Miss Holt.” Shiro smiled (he doesn't think he's stopped smiling since they started talking). She nodded and ran into the hotel quickly. He laughed a little and walked away, humming a cheerful tune he had picked up from Samuel, Pidge’s warmth surrounding him._

_  
~*~_

  
_It was some months later, after many visits, that Shiro managed to gain the courage to ask an important question. Despite the warmness of Samuel and Colleen Holt, they could be very intimidating. Colleen with the same fierceness his grandmother had and Samuel with his sharp words. But they were also the people he needed to appeal to._  
_He gulped as he asked to talk to them separately from their children. They gave each other a look before saying okay and moved outside. “I don't have much, and I know it's really not the best time since there’s a war, but may I have permission to ask your daughter to marry me?”_  
_Samuel burst out laughing and even Colleen gave a small giggle. Shiro’s face began to heat up as he wondered if he messed up. Samuel spoke first, “I like your wording. God knows she decides for herself what she'll do. I approve.”_  
_“You are quite the gentleman and you seem to care for my daughter a lot. She could do worse.” Colleen started. Shiro was waiting for a ‘but.’ “And if we said no, Katie would runaway and elope with you on her own. You have our blessing.”_  
_Shiro couldn't help but sag in relief. Samuel patted him on the back. “Now I think it's time you ask a certain little lady something.” And there was that anxiousness again. “Good luck.”_  
_Shiro steeled himself and gulped down his worries. He walked back over to where Matt and Pidge were talking animatedly. He took a deep breath before saying, “Miss Holt, might I talk to you about something important?”_  
_“When did you start calling me miss Holt again? I thought we were closer than that.” Pidge raised an eyebrow. “But you may.”_  
_“We haven't known each other that long, but I've come to care for you deeply and I was wondering if you would be willing to share your future with me.” Shiro told her. She stared at him, her mouth agape. She turned noiselessly to Matt who nodded and she looked back at Shiro._  
_He suddenly had a small thing of about ninety pounds fling herself at him, braid flying behind her. He fell backwards as she hugged him tightly. “Yes! I would be more than willing!”_  
_He grinned like a fool and when she pulled away he noted she had tears in her eyes. “Are you alright?”_  
_“Yes. I just... I never thought you would ask me. I expected to be a spinster my entire life.” She wiped them away. Matt patted her head and congratulated them. She ran to tell her parents, almost tripping over a rug as she did so. Shiro flushed when he realized the other patrons had been staring at them._

_  
~*~_

  
_It was a bright summer day. The five of them had gone on a picnic together before Shiro had to go back to the base. Colleen and Samuel (for some reason the man had winked at him) had wandered off together, looking at the field and enjoying the warmth and sunshine. Matt had gone off climbing trees (though Shiro never could understand why he did that), leaving Shiro and Pidge alone on the quilt._  
_They ended up talking about what the wedding should be like. Pidge told him she'd like a Japanese wedding for him. He laughed and said his grandparents would approve. She asked if they could have a dog when they were married. He responded with an of course. They continued to muse on the future until they fell quiet._  
_“Stay alive, will you? None of that will happen unless you stay alive.” Pidge told him. He smiled softly, understanding her fears._  
_“I'll stay alive for you.” He promised. She shook her head, hair in a braided bun. He wished it was loose._  
_“Stay alive for yourself.” She replied. He continued to smile, but didn't respond. She sighed and leaned into him. “Please stay alive.”_  
_“Only if you do the same.” He said and put an arm around her as they watched the birds fly._

  
_~*~_

  
Shiro put a hand on his plane, thinking of his fiancée. He wished he could take her in one of these. She would love the feeling. If women were allowed to fly, he could see her being a natural. Maybe after the war... he shook his head and reminded himself to focus.  
He got into his plane, feeling her spirit with him. She always loved it when he would tell her what it was like. He left out the bullets and bombs that would sometimes drop. It was the feeling of flying that was great.  
He brought out the worn letter, the picture dropping onto his lap.  
**Dear Takashi,  
** The bombings are getting closer. My mom and I are moving. I’ll send you a letter with our new address as soon as we arrive. I love you and I will see you again soon.  
Stay alive,  
Katie Holt  
He took a deep breath as he picked up the photo. Shiro kissed her forehead and tucked them back away into his jacket. He rose up into the air, ready to meet the enemy in battle.  
He focused as best as he could, moving along with the others. It became a blur as he fought, never having truly liked it. But it was his duty to fight, so fight he would for his country.  
Then there was a hit. He turned and saw one of the wings of his plane missing. He was too high in the air to land safely.  
He was going to crash.  
Die.  
_Stay alive._  
He could hear Pidge’s words in his ears.  
_Only if you do._ He remembered _._  
_Only if you do..._  
But she didn't.  
And so he let himself fall.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the song A Big Jet Plane. I hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
